Windows Installer Deployment Concepts

Deployment in Visual Studio is based on Windows Installer technology and differs greatly from the setup technologies found in earlier versions of Visual Studio. The following topics cover basic concepts related to deployment in Visual Studio.

In This Section

• Microsoft Windows Installer Technology Backgrounder
  Provides an overview of Windows Installer technology.

• Windows Installer Deployment on Windows Vista
  Discusses the Windows Installer deployment experience on the Windows Vista operating system.

• Introduction to Merge Modules
  Provides an overview of merge modules that can be used to distribute components.

• Deploying Prerequisites (Visual Studio)
  Discusses how the deployment tools in Visual Studio enable you to install the .NET Framework and other components as a part of your installation.

• Installer vs. Merge Module Recommendations
  Explains when to use merge modules instead of installers.

• Retargetable Merge Modules
  Describes creating merge modules that can be configured by other developers.

• Files, Folders, and Deployment
  Explains how to control where files are installed.

• Deployment and Associations
  Explains how to associate file name extensions with an application.

• Deployment and Authenticode Signing
  Describes the use of Authenticode signing in deployment.

• Deployment and Dependencies
  Describes the role of dependencies in deployment.

• Deployment and Localization
  Describes creating localized installers.

• Deployment and the Registry
  Provides an overview of working with the registry.

• Deployment and the Run-Time User Interface
  Explains how to provide a user interface during installation.

• Deployment and the Global Assembly Cache
  Describes the installation of assemblies to the global assembly cache.

• Custom Actions
  Describes running scripts or programs as part of an installation.

• Administrative Installation
  Describes installation to an application server.

• Conditional Deployment
  Provides an overview of using conditions for selective installation.

• Deployment Conditions
  Describes conditions that are used in conditional deployment.

• Deployment Dialog Boxes
  Provides links to topics that describe each of the installation dialog boxes.

• Installation Dialog Box Restrictions
  Describes limitations and restrictions for installation dialog boxes.

Related Sections

• Setup and Deployment Projects
  Suggests different types of deployment projects to suit your needs.

• Deployment Alternatives
  Explains additional methods for deploying or distributing files.

• Windows Installer Deployment Tasks
  Describes the tasks involved in deployment.

See Also

Other Resources

Windows Installer Deployment